Down on the lower end of the FM dial is where you’ll find them… Diligently plugging away, sometimes sounding as if they’re not so sure of themselves, playing music you’ve likely never heard before. Depending on what you hear, you may feel it’s not your cup of tea and tune your radio to something more mainstream.

But do you ever get tired of mainstream and feel like you want something a little different? Then I invite you to stick around a while, bear with the young DJ spinning the tunes, and open your ears to something you don’t always hear on mainstream radio. Welcome to the wonderful world of college radio.

For Tone Radio, the student-run radio station at the University of Glousterchire in the UK, the time for a change was long overdue. They started out in 2006 with a limited FM signal that covered the campus. In 2008, Tone began streaming online. Jack Higgins, Audio and Music Technician at the university, explains the decision point.

“We started out with mostly analog gear. Over the years, our broadcast consoles had completely broken down, and were replaced with live music soundboards which were difficult for some of our volunteers to use.” Higgins and the students worked with Richard Lawley of Radio Studio Services Ltd., who helped in the procurement and design for new studios and equipment. The three studios were equipped with QOR.32 integrated console engines and Axia iQ AoIP mixing consoles, with the one in the control room having a 6-channel extender board.

College radio stations often have limited resources to manage various projects or issues they might face. So where do college broadcasters turn when they have questions? Intercollegiate Broadcasting System is a 77-year-old volunteer organization that supports the mission of college and high school radio, and recognizes and promotes the efforts of these and other non-commercial broadcasters.